Light Rail

Transit Planning

East Link Light Rail Plans Provoke Controversy in Seattle Suburb

A proposal to link local and regional buses with the East Link light rail expansion in Mercer Island, already under construction, threatens to boil over into the courtroom.

September 1, 2020 - Mercer Island Reporter

Baltimore MTA Bus

Baltimore Transit Lagging Behind Other Systems

State-run buses and subway trains in Baltimore have breakdown rates far higher than systems in other cities.

March 29, 2020 - The Baltimore Sun

Purple Line

Preserving Affordable Housing Along Maryland Light Rail Line

A new plan lays out strategies to keep housing affordable for low- and moderate-income residents along the corridor of Maryland’s new Purple Line.

December 21, 2019 - WAMU

Tide Light Rail

A New Transit Vision for Norfolk

Transit ridership in Norfolk, Virginia, has been lagging, and the city hopes that changes to the bus and rail systems will turn things around.

December 1, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

Long Beach to Los Angeles

Busy Section of L.A. Rail Transit Had Quicker Service in 1916

Over a century ago, the Pacific Electric Railway operated a line between downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach that competed its journey ten minutes faster than LA Metro's Blue Line does. What gives?

October 25, 2019 - Long Beach Post

Sound Transit

Seattle Fare Enforcement Disproportionately Punishes Blacks, Data Show

Sound Transit says its fare enforcement system is design to be unbiased, but analysis about fare evader data indicates disparities.

October 11, 2019 - The Seattle Times

Downtown Seattle

Monorail Joins the Seattle Transit Network

The city's monorail has operated separately from other systems in the region, but now riders can pay fares using the ORCA cards that work for other transit systems in the region.

October 10, 2019 - The Urbanist

Sound Transit train

Seattle Light Rail Expansion Brings Redevelopment Boom

The city’s Northgate Link extension has spurred development around the new stations, and one neighborhood is poised to change dramatically.

October 3, 2019 - The Urbanist

Freeway

Infrastructure vs. Housing

Do shortages of infrastructure justify restrictive zoning?

September 22, 2019 - Michael Lewyn

Seattle Streetcar

Seattle Streetcar Project Facing Major Challenges

The city council approved funding for a new streetcar line, but cost increases mean the project is behind schedule and federal funds could be in jeopardy.

September 3, 2019 - The Seattle Times

TriMet Portland

New Questions Around Portland-Area Light Rail Project

A proposed rail line would run from downtown Portland, Oregon, to the suburbs. The budget has increased significantly, and many funding and project scope questions remain.

August 26, 2019 - Oregon Live

Valley Metro

Voters Could End Approved Light Rail Projects in Phoenix

The future of light rail in Phoenix is in voters' hands.

April 16, 2019 - Arizona Central

Badly Needed Light Rail Funding to the Rescue in Buffalo

State budget wheeling and dealing has yielded $100 million in funding for repairs on the Buffalo Metro Rail system, according to reports.

April 7, 2019 - The Buffalo News

Valley Metro

Phoenix City Council Shifts Voter-Approved Light Rail Project Funding to Roads

Locally generated sales tax revenue will no longer fund a planned light rail extension in west Phoenix.

March 25, 2019 - Arizona Republic

O-Train

Ottawa Light Rail On Track to Expand

Canada's capital has approved a major set of extensions to its light rail O-Train system, encompassing 27.3 miles of new track and 24 new stations.

March 22, 2019 - CBC

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

Transit Ridership Up in San Diego

Most of the U.S. saw public transit ridership continue its downward trend last year, but San Diego’s ridership, particularly on light rail, was up.

March 20, 2019 - KPBS

Transit Planning

Seattle to Build Housing Alongside Light Rail

Seattle is going beyond transit oriented development by building apartments on parcels of land near stations.

February 2, 2019 - CityLab

RTD Train

Denver Train Problems Caused by Tall Buildings: RTD

The A and G Lines use GPS for their crossing gates, they claim that a new software patch and other improvements would resolve those issues and put the G line on schedule.

December 20, 2018 - The Denver Post

Metro Gold LIne

Planned L.A. Crenshaw Line Rollout Prompts Argument

Already delayed, the Crenshaw Line has now sparked debate between stakeholders who favor opposing visions of how the light rail service should link up with the existing Green Line.

December 2, 2018 - The Los Angeles Times

Houston Metro

What Makes a Transit System Great in the U.S.

Transit should make people's lives better, with density a key component of successful systems.

November 23, 2018 - Urban Edge

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.